Updated June 26, 2019 14:32:21

Breakdancing is one step closer to becoming the latest sport added to the Olympic programme after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) approved its inclusion for the 2024 Paris games.

Breakdancing, or breaking, is one of four sports proposed by the Paris Organising Committee, three of which — surfing, climbing and skateboarding — will make their appearance in Tokyo in 2020 along with variations of more traditional sports such as 3x3 basketball.

Breaking featured for the first time as a medal sport at the Buenos Aires Youth Summer Games in 2018.

The street dance competitions would have 16 athletes in each of the men's and women's medal events in Paris.

Photo: The sport of breakdancing has cleared its latest hurdle for inclusion in the Olympic programme at the 2024 Paris Games. (Reuters: Robert Pratta)

The proposed inclusion of breakdancing as a sport at the modern Olympics is part of a drive by the organisation to appeal to a new generation of sports fans.

The IOC will make a final decision on the proposed sports' inclusion in December 2020, with sports still required to meet certain criteria for Olympic observers.

The Olympic Agenda 2020, a set of guidelines set out by the IOC in 2018, set out a number of reforms for the Olympic movement, including making the sport programme: "more gender balanced and more urban, and offer the opportunity to connect with the younger generation," according to IOC president Thomas Bach.

"The [four] proposed sports are in line with these principles and enhance Paris 2024's overall dynamic Games concept, which focuses on inclusivity, inspiring a new audience and hosting a socially responsible Games," Bach added.

"I am delighted with the IOC Session's vote in favour of our proposal to include breaking, sport climbing, skateboarding and surfing on the Paris 2024 Olympic Games programme," Tony Estanguet, president of the Paris 2024 organising committee said.

"Our aim from the outset has been to highlight what has been the strength of the Games for 32 Olympiads now — the diversity of the sports and the excitement that comes with performance — while also taking the opportunity afforded by the IOC to enhance the programme and offer a new dimension."

The number of sports included in Olympic games has increased dramatically since the last two times Paris hosted the games in 1900 and 1924.

In the 1900 Olympics — just the second of the modern era — 19 different sports were contested by 997 athletes.

As well as the now-ubiquitous events such as swimming, athletics and gymnastics, the 1900 games included sports such as polo, croquet, basque pelota, cricket and tug of war — none of which are still contested at the games.

At the 1924 games, the list of sports had grown to 23, contested by 3,089 athletes, of which just 135 were women.

By contrast, the 2024 games will feature 33 different sports with about 11,000 athletes.

ABC/AP

Topics: dance, sport, olympics-summer, france

First posted June 26, 2019 13:12:09